Month: December 2012

I’m posting this week’s workout a day early and with a festive frame of mind. In lieu of this being the last day of the year, this week’s workout is going to have you completing 365 total reps. I have 10 exercises in which you will complete 36 reps, and one at the end in which you will do 5 reps. Here are your exercises:

DB Chest Press

DB Squat

Full Situp

DB Bent Over Row

Lunge Jump

Pushup Position Leg Crossover

DB Clean and Press

DB Reverse Lunge

Alternating Leg Lift

Bench Dip

Plank Climb – 5 reps

Do these exercises one at a time. Do not move on to the next until you have finished all of the reps on your current exercise. For exercises that involve one arm/leg at a time (Lunge Jump, Bent Over Row) complete 36 TOTAL REPS/18 ON EACH SIDE. For the Plank Climbs, complete 5 reps on each side.

It’s that time of year again.. The New Year will be arriving within the hours and the resolutions will be flowing in. Ranging from weight loss to personal hygiene, the resolutions are usually as varied as the people making them. Personally, I’ve never been into making New Year’s Resolutions for myself. I have no issues with those who do make them, I just find that they’re not for me. But for those of you that are planning on making a resolution for yourself this New Year, I want to give you some tips on not only how to stick to your resolution, but some reasons why many of them fail. Hope this helps.

Reasonable Goals

This is, without a doubt, one of the most important aspects of starting and maintaining a successful exercise program. Whatever your goal may be – running a 10k, adding 20 lbs to your bench press, losing 30 lbs for the summer – it HAS to be attainable. To go even further with that, is has to be attainable within a reasonable time period. Your long-term goal may be to drop 40 lbs, which is attainable for most people. BUT, it won’t happen overnight. Long-term goals are very important, but you must break them up into smaller short-term goals. This allows you to see success more frequently, which will motivate you even more to reach that bigger goal down the road. Set those goals, both long- and short-term, and get to work!!

Accountability

Let me start this section of by being very honest: You CANNOT make long-term lifestyle changes by yourself. Sure, you may like to exercise by yourself. Whether it’s running or lifting weights, you might prefer to be alone when you’re exercising. I get that, because I am often in the same ship. BUT, there will come a time when things become difficult. That initial high that everyone gets when they begin an exercise program will eventually wear off. So what happens then??? You have to find an outside source of motivation and accountability. Find a partner to workout with a few days per week, invest in a personal trainer or group fitness classes, or get your spouse/significant other on board with you. Trust me, I am a HUGE advocate or self-discipline and internal motivation. Without it, you will get nothing accomplished in life. But, even the most driven and determined people need help every now and then. I have been there, and believe me, it makes a world of different. So find some accountability – whatever form it may come in – and take your training to the next level!!

Variety

Variety, the spice of life, right?? As most of you know, this applies to almost every aspect of life. Why do so many people get tired of their jobs?? Maybe because they do the same thing over and over again day after day. Well, it should come as no surprise that exercise is no different. Now, there is a lot to be said for developing a routine and sticking to it. But, just as with anything else, if you don’t add a little variety to things, you WILL get tired of it. Get off of the treadmill and hit the pavement for a little while. Add some resistance training along with your cardio training. Try some group fitness classes (I hear kickboxing is a great workout). Adding variety will not only limit the monotony of exercise, but providing new stimuli will keep the body in a constant state of adaptation, which will in turn lead to better results.

Consistency

When it comes to making (and sticking to) a New Year’s Resolution, consistency IS the name of the game. You will not be successful if you are not consistent. All too often people will go through peaks and valleys when it comes to exercise. When they are on, and they’re peaking, things are great. They are in shape and feeling good. But what happens when they stop? All of that seems to slip away. The troubling part about that is that it is a lot harder to gain it back than it is to lose it. So, why not stick with it in the first place?? I’m not saying it is easy to stay on top of your game, but I am saying it is important. Things are much more effective, and you will get much better results, if you can avoid those extreme highs and lows and stay more consistent.

The New Year provides a great opportunity for individuals to have a clean slate and start all over again. If you are one of those people, then I applaud you. But you must remember this: Nobody said it was going to be easy. It will be difficult at times. But, if you can set reasonable goals, find that external source of motivation, and add some variety to it, your program will be much easier to follow and the results will show. That may sound like a lot, but you know what?? YOU CAN DO IT!!! So, with that said, I will leave you with one of my favorite quotes that I apply to almost all walks of life…

“If it’s easy, it’s not going to be worth it. If it’s worth it, it’s not going to be easy”

If you don’t know what I’m talking about by the headliner, I’ll explain. It amuses and annoys the hell out of me when I see someone get a calorie-loaded, fat-infested meal, and try to justify it with a diet soda to drink. Do you really think that Diet Coke is going to matter after you order the Double Greaseburger, large Cheese Fries, and a tub of Ranch dressing? Let me guess, you’re watching what you drink?? Right…

Let me be honest with you for a second. Just because a company slaps a “diet” label on something does NOT mean it is any better for you than the alternative. It may have a few fewer calories and a little less sugar, but that’s just the tip of the soft drink iceberg. Truth be told, if it comes in a 12 oz can, 16 or 20 oz bottle, or bigger, the chances of it being good for you are slim and none. Maybe the trick is not just drinking a diet soda during a meal, but having about 6 or 8 of them throughout the day. But we all know that nobody ever does that, right?? Put down the soda and drink some water. People have been getting along just fine doing it for, oh I don’t know, EVER.

Diet Soda. Shaking My Head. That’s All.

**DISCLAIMER: If you are a frequent consumer of diet sodas, I am neither criticizing nor judging you. I will still be your friend. I simply do not like diet sodas and choose not to make them a part of my diet.